The Hellenic League

**Garbad** · April 13, 2019, 11:07 AM

Looks great to me.

**Basilius** · April 15, 2019, 05:51 PM

Here's what I have for the Grand Strategy:

Hellas and Makadonia
1. Hellas is the core of the Greeks and is the highest priority. You start with Athenai and Sparta; Knosses must be conquered and should be done quickly. If left alone the island will turtle with land and naval stacks, eventually attacking Atikka. The Island is the soft underbelly of Hellas and securing it is a top priority.
2. Makadonia is the natural extension to Hellas and requires absorbing the Aetolian League and defeating Epirus & Makadon: two successor states. This is the most precarious part of the early game because of Epirus’ war with Rome. If Rome wins too early and pours into Apollonia, you’re in for a brutal game. (It may be worth restarting if this happens.) One option is to go for Epirus first to preempt Roman expansion and leave the Aetolians as a buffer against Makedon. However, this allows the Aetolian League to build up its forces and potentially strike at your back.
  While we start the game at war with Antigonidai, Thracian tribes preoccupy the empire and it often sues for peace. In the case where Thrace conquers Pella and you need to take it from them, get ready for prolonged wars. The barbarians of Romania will come pouring down into Greece, and you will spend several turns repulsing them and consolidating your territorial gains.
Thrace and/or Asia
1. Hellas and Makedonia are not enough of a base for an empire; you will need Thrace and/or Asia as well. Both provinces have pros and cons.
2. Thrace is a nice roof to Greece and the Danube river is easily defendable. As your first 4-region province it produces a lot of food & cash, and may even become a military base given its size and access to excellent AOR units.
  One problem is that it’s not culturally Greek—meaning it must be Hellenized, which takes time. Further, you will incur the ire of northern barbarians who may raid your lands and need to be occasionally pacified. That said, Thrace is an excellent extension to your empire and should only be avoided when Rome claims it early-on.
3. Asia is another nearby 4-region province that has the benefit of being Greek. Given that Rhodes and Nicomedia are essential strategic goals, control of Asia is a natural expansion. Plus, if the area is left alone, it tends to harass your eastern flank.
  The province’s big downfall is that it’s within the Seleucid orbit, with Lydia being a satrapy of the empire. It’s also a pain to defend, distracting you from your other goals. The player should be opportunistic: grabbing regions when conditions allow but avoiding wars in the East (if possible).
Corfu, Rhodes, and Crete
1. Once you’ve secured the land base for your empire, it’s time to branch out into the Mediterranean. Three points are essential: Corfu, Rhodes, and Crete must be defended from the sea. Plant a navy on each (or nearby).
2. Corfu protects Apollonia from Roman invasion, acts as gatekeeper to the Adriatic Sea via the Strait of the Otranto, and allows for excursions into Apulia if needed.
3. Rhodes and Crete form the underbelly of Greece and entrance into the Mare Aegaeum, and by extension the Black Sea.
Nicomedia, the Bosporus, and the Aegean
1. Nicomedia must be captured. Not only does it seal our control of the Aegean Sea (reducing piracy and potential for raiding) but the Bosphorus acts as a cork keeping the East out of the West (until you’re ready to come pouring in). The strait also gatekeeps the Black Sea: a terrifically important position.
  Once objectives 1 – 4 are achieved, you’ve established the core of your empire. These must not be lost; everything below is an imperial luxury. Spend several turns consolidating gains, positioning armies/navies at key defensive/strategic points, and building good relations with your neighbors. It’s also wise to turn one of your provinces into a military base (all are good options, but Hellas is recommended).
Cyprus and Sicily
1. Now things get dangerous. Objective #5 puts you in the path of the Great Powers, and because of DEI’s weighted auto-roles and timed reforms, it’s likely these empires will be monsters by the time you start to wrestle with them. Decide if you should go after Cyprus or Sicily first, or even complete objectives 6 or 7 beforehand.
2. Cyprus is the underbelly of Asia Minor and a launching pad for excursions into the Near East. You will infuriate the Seleucids and Egypt by capturing the island, as it threatens both Antioch and the Levant.
3. Sicily is the centerpiece in the Phoenician and Latin war. By now it’s likely that Syrakousai has been conquered by either Carthage or Rome, or the island is partitioned. By taking it you risk warring one or both empires, but successfully fortifying the island keeps each power on its own half of the Mediterranean and provides a launching pad for you to invade either continent.
4. With these islands under control, you bracket off the entire Eastern Mediterranean as your own. The Hellenic League becomes a Great Naval Power. All that’s left is land expansion to cement your victory.
Magna Graecia, Aegyptus, Italia, and Africa
1. Military victory conditions require control, either through alliances or military capture, of the above four provinces in addition to objective 7.
  The point is to control the Mediterranean Sea. Given how central the sea is to Rome, Carthage, and Egypt, this effectively means breaking the backs of these major powers. It may be wiser to go after Egypt first: Cyprus provides a nearby base and the region is mainly Hellenic. On the other hand, Rome & Carthage tend to balloon if left alone, so going after them early saves a lot of headache later.
140 settlements
1. Military victory conditions require control, either through alliances or military capture, of 140 settlements in addition to objective 6.
  This goal should be completed alongside the others. Rather than direct settlement, consider subjugating people as client states. There are pros and cons to this. Having additional income without needing to provide maintenance or protection is nice, but client states can drag you into wars that distract from your other goals.
  The black sea is a perfect place to start. The region is weak, fractured, and you control its entrance via the Bosporus. Your forces can march down the coast accompanied by a navy, looting, conquering, and subjugating all in their path.

**Epanastatis** · April 15, 2019, 09:25 PM

Athens has an Elite Melee Cav in addition to Tarantines, which are a general purpose anti-cav force. They should be good. So right now we have:

Hippakontistai
Elite Tarantine
Lonchophoroi
Sarissa
Xystophoroi
Elite Hippeis

With AOR Thessalian Cav and Mercenary Tarantine (which are amazing) rounding things out. How does that look?

This looks perfect to me, and I'm overjoyed Sarissa Lancers have made the cut :p

140 settlements

Military victory conditions require control, either through alliances or military capture, of 140 settlements in addition to objective 6.
This goal should be completed alongside the others. Rather than direct settlement, consider subjugating people as client states. There are pros and cons to this. Having additional income without needing to provide maintenance or protection is nice, but client states can drag you into wars that distract from your other goals.
The black sea is a perfect place to start. The region is weak, fractured, and you control its entrance via the Bosporus. Your forces can march down the coast accompanied by a navy, looting, conquering, and subjugating all in their path.

For flavour, I would like to see a victory condition such that the player must conquer all starting Greek provinces (e.g. Massalia, Phanagoreia, Kotais, Bactra etc), thus uniting all Greeks under the League